Health Malaria

BackgroundBackground The name comes from the Italian mal (bad) and aria (air) – it was originally thought the disease was spread by the damp air from swamps. The link between the disease and the Anopheles Mosquito was first made by Ronald Ross, a Scottish army doctor, working in India.

When the Anopheles Mosquito “bites”, it actually sinks a long, thin mouth part, the proboscis, into the skin. The mosquito then pumps saliva under the skin, to stop the blood clotting – so that it can drink uninterrupted! In the saliva is the main culprit, the Plasmodium, a single-cell blood parasite.

Malaria is a disease which is endemic in many countries – this means it is always present. It is predominantly a disease of the Tropics. Global Distribution of Malaria

MALARIA TODAY… Global population at risk: 2.3 billion people (about 40% of the world’s population) Number infected: million people Global mortality: between 4000 and 8000 deaths each day In the time it takes to say the word malaria, ten people (seven of them children) will have caught it. Every 30 seconds, a child dies of malaria.

Task In groups, collect one Higher Paper 2 past paper from 2008, 2007, 2006 & In groups, collect one Higher Paper 2 past paper from 2008, 2007, 2006 & Development & Health is always Q6. Development & Health is always Q6. Come up with a list of what you will need to know about Malaria for the exam (5 mins). Come up with a list of what you will need to know about Malaria for the exam (5 mins). Summarise the list into five main ‘objectives’ for what you need to know about Malaria. Summarise the list into five main ‘objectives’ for what you need to know about Malaria.

Objectives – Please Copy Human causes/risk factors of Malaria Physical (environmental) causes of Malaria Methods/strategies of control Effectiveness of strategies Benefits to a country of controlling Malaria

Task Take detailed notes on Physical Causes and Human causes. Use all the relevant textbooks/photocopies. Tip: remember to include numbers/figures where possible.

Human Causes of Malaria Human blood supply. Areas of stagnant water where mosquitoes can breed e.g. tank wells, irrigation channels etc. Mosquitoes will breed where you have poor drainage, irrigation or poor sanitation. Lack of health care facilities. Migrants moving into malarial areas - clearing land, looking for work, refugees etc.

Poor housing, like this shanty, offers little protection.

Physical Causes of Malaria Moist hot climate (15°C - 40°C) Areas of shade where mosquitoes can digest meal. Presence of female anopheles mosquitoes.

Ideal breeding grounds for mosquitoes – still, shallow water.

Mosquitoes will breed in small puddles, even in animal hoof prints, empty cans and bomb craters.

A jar containing mosquito larvae.

A high risk area – people, vegetation cover and stagnant water during the wet season.

Solutions & Effectiveness Make detailed notes on solutions AND their effectiveness under 2 categories: Make detailed notes on solutions AND their effectiveness under 2 categories:Prevention Treating Sufferers

Ways to prevent Malaria Insecticides can be sprayed in homes to kill mosquitoes e.g. Malathion. Effective but expensive as it is petroleum based. Also smells bad and stains walls yellow.

Mustard Seeds are put on water surfaces as they become sticky when wet. They drag mosquito eggs under water and drown them. This is difficult to maintain & seems wasteful. Ways to prevent Malaria

Spraying Egg Whites also kills larvae on stagnant water as it suffocates them by clogging up their breathing tubes. This also seems wasteful. Ways to prevent Malaria

Bti bacteria in coconuts is eaten by larvae and destroys their stomach lining. Coconuts are left to ferment for a few days, broken open & thrown into ponds. Effective 1. 2/3 coconuts ‘control’ a pond for 45 days 2. Cheap to produce & plentiful 3. Bacteria is not harmful to humans or animals Ways to prevent Malaria

Larvae-eating fish introduced to paddy fields. These are effective PLUS a useful source of protein to be added to peoples’ diet. Ways to prevent Malaria

Drainage of swamps & irrigation channels. This is effective but not always practical in tropical places as it rains a lot. Also very expensive. Ways to prevent Malaria

Release water from dams to drown larvae. This is successful but has to be done every 7-10 days to fit in with breeding cycle. Ways to prevent Malaria

Planting Eucalyptus trees to absorb excess water from the soil helps drain breeding sites. Ways to prevent Malaria

Education “Prevention easier than Cure” Use insect repellent Cover exposed skin at dusk (when mosquito most active) Sleep under a mosquito net sprayed with insecticide This is thought to be most effective treatment (30% of child deaths could be avoided) & cheap to implement

We can also treat sufferers: Chloroquine (drug) Easy to use and cheap but mosquitoes are becoming resistant to it.

Larium (drug) Powerful and effective but can have harmful side-effects. Powerful and effective but can have harmful side-effects.

Vaccines This would be the most effective treatment (easier to give out than a course of drugs and offers lasting protection)… However, a successful and widely available one has not been invented yet. Trials still going on in Gambia and Columbia.

Quinghaosu (drug) Plant extract which has been used as a traditional cure in China for many years. It can be put into pill form making it easy to take and distribute. This is a possible future solution, especially considering China’s improved relationship with the West.

No ONE solution has been found A mix of strategies is most successful. WHO “Roll Back Malaria” programme (global campaign aimed at halving number of Malaria cases by 2010). Bill Gates Foundation donated £105 million to help research a vaccine and new drugs to fight this disease.

KEY REVISION POINTS Anopheles Mosquito Plasmodium Humid climate: 16-40ºC, abundant rainfall Vegetation for shade Areas of still or stagnant water Lost education through bouts of illness Lost productivity by adults, especially at planting and harvest time – less food, lower income Huge amount spent on trying to prevent or control malaria Negative impact on foreign investment and tourism Anopheles Mosquito Plasmodium Humid climate: 16-40ºC, abundant rainfall Vegetation for shade Areas of still or stagnant water Lost education through bouts of illness Lost productivity by adults, especially at planting and harvest time – less food, lower income Huge amount spent on trying to prevent or control malaria Negative impact on foreign investment and tourism

KEY REVISION POINTS Malathion Genetic engineering – sterile male mosquitoes ITNs – Insecticide Treated Bed nets Draining and flushing breeding sites Oil, egg whites and mustard seeds Bti, Fish (Muddy Loach), Eucalyptus trees Chloroquine, Artemisia No effective vaccines yet - several on trial World Health Organisation campaign – Roll Back Malaria Malathion Genetic engineering – sterile male mosquitoes ITNs – Insecticide Treated Bed nets Draining and flushing breeding sites Oil, egg whites and mustard seeds Bti, Fish (Muddy Loach), Eucalyptus trees Chloroquine, Artemisia No effective vaccines yet - several on trial World Health Organisation campaign – Roll Back Malaria

Benefits to ELDCs of eradicating Malaria Less money spent on medicine, drugs, insecticides, doctors, drainage etc. Saved money available to be spent in other areas of the country’s economy. There will be healthier workforce which will speed up development. EMDCs more likely to invest in ELDCs that have eradicated malaria. Malaria-free countries can encourage tourism which will benefit the economy. Longer life expectancy. Reduction in national debt. Lower infant mortality means birth rate will fall & population growth will slow down.